Rohit Sharma has cleared his fitness assessment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and is expected to fly out to Australia within the next two days. According to several reports, the India opener who is currently in Mumbai will be available, barring unforeseen developments, for India’s third and fourth Test match against Australia, down under after going through the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
Ishant Sharma on the other hand has been ruled out of the entire series as per the NCA because of a side strain. The pacer had sustained a side strain during the IPL. Though he did recover from the injury at the National Cricket Academy but couldn’t achieve Test match fitness.
A lot of debate and discussion had gone around the availability of Sharma who had picked up a hamstring during the IPL season. Even captain Virat Kohli had disclosed in a media interview that he was kept in the dark on this matter. The MI captain had missed four games following his hamstring and was not named in any of the India squad for the Australia tour.
.@ImRo45 #AUSvIND #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/0V9X8FqtOU
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 11, 2020
He made a return for the to be champions but then travelled back to India owing to his father’s health. Sharma then reported at the NCA in Bengaluru and was ruled out of the first two Test matches alongside India’s pace spearhead, Ishant.
Reports are now coming that he is fit to travel, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be match ready after the 14-day mandatory quarantine period. It may be possible that the eight-day gap between the second and third Test may have encouraged the management to bring in Rohit to strengthen the squad in the absence of Virat, who will return to India after the first Test to attend the birth of his first child.
The four-match Test series between India and Australia will begin on 17th December with a day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.